Saturday at the Farmers' Market

It's been a good year for cucumbers here. Here's a slightly different version of sweet and sour cucumber salad.

Cool Hand Cukes

Ingredients:
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups water
2 cucumbers, sliced thinly

Instructions:
Combine lime juice, sugar, oil and water in sauce pan; heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cukes; marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Six servings.

Nobody Runs Forever by Richard Stark

In ten words or less: Parker and pals plot to steal an armored car.

Review: A bank in rural Massachusetts is transferring assets via four armored cars. Parker is told about the job by a former security guard who had an affair with the bank manager's wife. Any number of people can throw a wrench into the works--an unscrupulous, cheating doctor; a bounty hunter and his good-looking blonde partner; and the security guard's law abiding sister.

The efficient and ruthless Parker keeps one step ahead of the law in another page-turning adventure from author Stark, also known as Donald Westlake.
Why bother? Nobody writes a caper novel like Stark/Westlake. Parker is not a likeable protagonist but fans of modern noir will savor each adventure of the efficient career criminal.

The Anteater of Death: a Gunn Zoo Mystery by Betty Webb

In ten words or less: Who killed the zoo volunteer? Not the giant anteater!

Review: Did Lucy, the giant pregnant anteater from Belize, kill the man who was found in her pen? When a bullet was discovered to be the cause of death, Lucy is off the hook, but a spiteful zoo director keeps her confined and off-exhibit.

Teddy Bentley, daughter of a socialite beauty queen and a fugitive embezzler, is the zookeeper who feeds and cleans up after Lucy, and can tell that the prospective mother is stressed out by her house arrest. She wants the head zookeeper Zorah to intercede on Lucy's behalf, but when Zorah is arrested for the murder, Teddy posts her bail.

Sheriff Joe Rejas, Teddy's high school sweetheart, wants her to question the society movers and shakers who were present at the fundraiser where the victim was killed. Teddy resists at first, but is drawn into the investigation.
Why bother? The zoo is a fun setting for a mystery, and Teddy shares the spotlight with giraffes, monkeys, and spectacled bears. Readers of Donna Andrews will enjoy this series.

The Scoop from "Bird Poop;" 35 years of wild bird rescues by Bebe McCasland

In ten words or less: True stories of wild bird rescues.

Review: When called to investigate the cries of a hawk in distress, wildlife rehabilitator Bebe McCasland discovered a Swainson's hawk chained to the ground in a weedy lot. Every one of the bird's talons had been cut off, leaving it unable to catch anything with its feet, or to roost--because it could not grip a limb. Covered with an oily substance, the bird was weak and thin.

After being rescued, the bird was examined and it was determined that the talons would eventually grow out, although they would be uneven and not tapered as they should be. The bird could never be released in the wild, but would be used as an educational bird.

McCasland has dozens of stories about vultures, hawks, owls, and other birds, told in an engaging and straightforward style. Not all the rescues have happy endings but they make the reader aware of all the perils that can befall birds--contaminants, trucks, weather, and the encroachment of humans upon bird habitats.

Why bother? This collection of columns, with wonderful illustrations by Don Collins, will appeal to bird lovers and others interested in nature and animals.

Saturday at the Farmers' Market

Yellow and green beans are still available at the local market. Here's a recipe that makes a great dish to take to a pot luck or picnic. In the winter, canned green and wax beans can be used.

Tres Bean Salad

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
1/2 pound fresh wax beans, likewise
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/4 cup green or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup Splenda or sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup vinegar

Microwave or steam the fresh beans until crisp-tender; three minutes ought to do it. Mix everything together and refrigerate overnight. This keeps well for days. Makes six servings.

Chili Con Corpses by J.B. Stanley

In ten words or less: Rich, gorgeous twin is murdered; did killer want her or her sister?

Review: James Henry's life was sputtering like a car running out of gas. He had traded his professorship for a job as a small town library director. Approaching forty, he still shared a house with his cantankerous father. Lucy, his girlfriend, was busy getting in shape for a sheriff's exam, and was spending more time with her buff workout partner than with James.

When drop-dead gorgeous twins moves to town, both the men and women of James' circle of friends take notice. The twins join the friends at a weekly cooking class where James--who should be dieting--takes a night off from healthy foods.

James' friend Lindy begs him to chaperone a class trip to nearby caves, but they never dream that one of the twins would be discovered murdered in the cave. And when one of the parents on the trip proves to be an imposter, James, Lindy, and the rest of the group investigate.

Why bother? In a departure from most cozies, the main character is a man. The cast of characters can get confusing, with a large group of friends with gender-neutral names --Bennett, Parker, Kinsley, Murphy, etc. But if you like mysteries with lots of talk about food (and recipes, of course), try the Supper Club Mystery series.

The Palace Guard by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: a forgery-stuffed museum is the scene of a murder.

Review: Attractive young widow Sarah Kelling accepts the invitation of Max Bittersohn, an investigator of art thefts, to a concert at the palatial Wilkins Museum. Sarah feels guilty for being drawn to her handsome escort, but the mood is shattered when one of the security guards falls to his death off a balcony into the courtyard. An investigation into the crime reveals that most of the art in the collection is forged--and very good forgeries they are, too.

Sarah and her family of eccentric Boston bluebloods join Max and the police to discover the identity of the killer and the forger.

Why bother? MacLeod has more wildly funny characters in her mysteries than clams in a bowl of chowder. The perfect gentle read for those who appreciate wordplay and the unexpected.

A Stranger in the Family by Robert Barnard

In ten words or less: Abducted as a child, Kit Philipson meets his birth family.

Review: Kit Philipson, raised by loving parents in Scotland, discovers before his mother's death that he was abducted from his birth family when he was three years old. Frank and Isla Novello had been vacationing in Italy with their children when young Kit (then named Peter) was snatched. There were no ransom demands, no investigation by the British police, and little publicity. His reunion with his birth family is tepid, at best.

What really happened, he wonders, and starts his own investigation--interviewing old family friends, police, and reading the scant newspaper coverage of the event.

A departure from Barnard's usual witty murder mysteries.

Why bother? The definition of a page turner! Barnard bucks the trend of massive 400-500 page dictionary-size novels, and delivers a tale of suspense in 250 pages. Nothing is as it seems, and Barnard takes readers deftly through twists and turns to a satisfying conclusion.

July's books

The first in a new series, Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck, features Suzanne Hart, a newly divorced woman who buys a donut shop in April Springs, North Carolina. One morning in the early hours before dawn, when she arrives at the shop to start mixing her donuts, a body is dumped outside her store.

Now that her shop is a crime scene, is her business going to fair before it has a chance to suceed? The police investigation is heading in the wrong direction, so Suzanne feels compelled to do her own snooping.

Sizzling sixteen by Janet Evanovich
The last Sherlock Holmes story by Michael Didbin
Sherlock Holmes and the King's evil by Donald Thomas
Baker Street letters by Michael Robertson
Dust and shadow by Lindsay Faye
The patient's eyes by David Pirie
The final solution by Michael Chabon
Wild ride by Jennifer Crusie
The Cinderella deal by Jennifer Crusie
An unopened grave by L. Frank James
Sherlock Holmes for dummies by Steven Doyle
God of the hive by Laurie R. King
As husbands go by Susan Isaacs
Glazed murder by Jessica Beck
Crazy busy beautiful by Carmindy
Breakout by Richard Stark
Cozy by Parnell Hall
Nobody runs forever by Richard Stark
Abby Cooper, psychic eye by Victoria Laurie
The improbable adventures of Sherlock Holmes by various authors

Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

In ten words or less: Demons inhabit Ohio amusement park; everyone's family has dark secrets.

Review: Mary Alice Brannigan is restoring an amusement park in Ohio, but little does she know that it's a prison for the five most powerful demons in history. Strange things keep happening, though--the giant clown statue is found across the park, destroyed; furtive strangers appear at the ice cream parlor every day; and some of the park's old-time employees are discovered dead.

While there is the usual quotient of humor in this novel, the romance takes a back seat to the demon battling. And a dizzying cast of demons there is--big dragon demons, demons trapped in a fortune telling booth, and little demons that can be trapped in Tupperware containers.

Why bother? There's less romance here than we've come to expect from Jennifer Crusie, but there's plenty of fun, and mind-boggling demons of every size and shape. Readers who like a little romance with the supernatural will be please, but those with a phobia of giant, possessed clowns should take a pass.

The Gladstone bag: a Sarah Kelling mystery by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Artists seek buried treasure on island; body found on shore.

Review: When Emma Kelling's friend asks her to play hostess to a group of guests at a summer home on remote Pocapuk Island, Emma hastily agrees. Her son Walter and his yodeling wife and children are planning to visit Emma, and there's only so much yodeling a doting mother can stand.

The artists and writers invited to the island are strangers to Emma, and evens turn even stranger when she is drugged on the ferry, and her bag of costume jewelry goes temporarily missing.

A light, fun, old-fashioned cozy, of the kind that is getting hard to find these days.

Why bother? It's not chick lit; it's not a thriller; just an entertaining mystery a la Agatha Christie.

Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton

In ten words or less: Becca cans preserves and investigates murder at the farmers' market.

Review: After inheriting a farm from her aunt and uncle, thirty-something Becca grows fruit and sells preserves at the farmers' market her twin sister manages. When the body of crotchety fower seller Abner is discovered, the suspects are many. Was it over a land dispute or a long-ago teenage romance?

Why bother? Readers who enjoy cozies, like those of Claudia Bishop and Laura Childs, will like this mystery. First in a new series; recipes included, of course.

June's Books

In Richard Stark's "Ask the Parrot," Parker, scrabbling through rural Massachusetts after a botched robbery, has police and their dogs tracking him. Tom Lindahl, a local recluse who's been nursing a grudge, agrees to help Parker hide out, but only if he'll help him with a robbery he's been plotting.

Lindahl used to work at a racetrack, but lost his job when he blew the whistle on his employer's criminal activities. He's been plotting his revenge ever since, spurning his neighbors' company, with a sullen parrot as his only company.

Suspicious locals dog Parker's every move, while the reader wonders whether Lindahl will turn Parker in for the reward money. Or will Parker rob the racetrack, and doublecross Lindahl? Is there honor among thieves?

Stark, a pen name of mystery Grand Master Donald Westlake, keeps the suspense and action rolling along. It's only been six months since his death, but knowing there'll be no more Westlake/Stark mysteries to anticipate makes the world just a little less interesting.

Thunder keeper by Margaret Coel
Star spangled murder by Leslie Meier
Only the super-rich can save us by Ralph Nader
Ask the parrot by Richard Stark
Irreverent guide to Manhattan by Ethan Wolff
Farm fresh murder by Paige Shelton
Stranger in the country by Robert Barnard
The girl who kicked the hornet's nest by Stieg Larsson
Compromising positions by Susan Isaacs
Frommer's New York City by Brian Silverman
Let's go: New York City by Carl Hughes, ed.
Bodies left behind by Jeffrey Deaver
Something in the water by Charlotte MacLeod
Seven year switch by Claire Cook

May's Books

In "Town in a blueberry jam," Candy Holliday manages a blueberry farm with her father, a retired professor. When the local ladies' man and the newly crowned blueberry queen are murdered, Candy investigates to clear the local handyman of the charges. It makes you crave a slice of blueberry pie!

Stress fracture by D.P. Lyle
An owl too many by Charlotte MacLeod
Complete idiot's guide to self-sufficient living by Jerome Belanger
Get positively beautiful by Carmindy
Glycemic load diet cookbook by Rob Thompson
This body of death by Elizabeth George
Five minute face by Carmindy
Open season by Archer Mayor
Town in a blueberry jam by B. Haywood
Shadow dancer by Margaret Coel
Tome of death by Dr.R. Meredith
Scat by Carl Hiaasen
Death by pantyhose by Laura Levine
Fever dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
The black cat by Martha Grimes

The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

In ten words or less: Designer-clad young women are murdered--who are they?

Review: Richard Jury has been sent to Chesham to help the local force with their investigation into the murder of a beautiful young woman found outside the local pub, the Black Cat. Beautifully dressed in expensive designer clothes and shoes, she seems familiar to the town residents, but no one can identify her.
When a second exquisitely clad young woman is murdered in London--and then a third--Jury is frustrated that no connection can be made between them.
Meanwhile, Melrose Plant is approached by a ten year old girl who claims her cat, Morris, the pub cat, has been kidnapped or murdered. Morris witnessed the murder of the beautiful woman in Chesham. Was the cat kidnapped because it knew too much?
Some chapters are told from the point of view of the animals, which is a bit too cute for me, and seems at odds with the previous books in this series. But the book was dedicated to Grimes' own black cat, who died. As the owner of an elderly black cat, I'll give her a pass this time.
I always look forward to a new Jury mystery, and "The Black Cat" did not disappoint.

Why bother? The twenty-second book in a series that has been consistently entertaining.There are enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages far into the night.

Fever dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

In ten words or less: Pendergast's wife was murdered; he and D'Agosta track the killer.

Review: FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast's wife Helen died in an accident in Africa twelve years ago. An excellent shot, Helen missed an attacking lion, and was mauled by the beast.
Accidently he discovers that her gun had been tampered with. Pendergast asks NYPD Detective Vincent D'Agosta to accompany him to Africa to track down Helen's murder. Their investigation takes them to the Pendergast family plantation in Louisiana and to Mississippi and Florida.
Just who is this woman I married, Pendergast begins to wonder. The enigmatic FBI Agent's personal life is laid bare in this action-packed adventure. Many of the past adventures have featured supernatural elements, but "Fever Dream" is a straight forward thriller, one of the strongest entries in the series yet. It's hard to imagine how the authors will top this.

Why bother? The mysterious Pendergast's past and personal history is revealed--or at least part of it is. Fans of the series will savor the latest from Preston and Child.

April's Books

In Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay, Two best friends, melanie and Angie, own a cupcake bakery. When their good friend Tate becomes engages to a woman they can't stand, they grin and bear it and offer to make cupcakes for the wedding. When the fiance is found dead with a cupcake clutched in her hand, the girls become murder suspects. First in a new series.

The cruelest month by Louise Penny
Rotten to the core by Sheila Connelly
Montana man by Barbara Delinsky
Matter of motive by Michael Hachey
125 best vegetarian slow cooker recipes by Judith Finlayson
Sprinkle with murder by Jenn McKinlay
Murder over easy by Jimmie Sue Evans
Story teller by Margaret Coel
Brutal telling by Louise Penny
Backroads and byways of Wisconsin by Kevin Revolinski
Comics in Wisconsin by Paul Buhle
Miss Julia renews her vows by Ann B. Ross

STALKING THE WILD ASPARAGUS

Spring came early to the frozen tundra this year. The first asparagus is appearing, and here's a great recipe to welcome the new season.


Cream of Asparagus Soup

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large potato, thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk or soy milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried tarragon

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth or water to a boil.
Add the asparagus, onion, and celery, then reduce the heat and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a food processor along with the flour and puree until smooth. (If you don't have a food processor, use an immersible blender. Your soup will be a little chunkier, but I like it that way).
Return the soup to the saucepan, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer until the soup begins to thicken and is heated through.
Serve immediately.
Makes six servings.

BOOKS I READ IN MARCH

In Tim Dorsey's "Nuclear jellyfish," madcap psychopath Serge Storms wants to be THE travel authority on Florida. After all, who knows more about the history of the state? Serge and his ever-toking sidekick Coleman seek out justice for those who have been ripped off by cheap motels, con artists, and thugs. Serge's brand of justice includes items found at Home Depot and lots of duct tape. You'll laugh out loud, and never look at a garden hose the same way.

Polk: the man who transformed the presidency and America by Walter Borneman
Thereby hangs a tail by Spencer Quinn
Betty Crocker easy everyday vegetarian: meatless main dishes you'll love
Miss Zukas and the raven's dance by Jo Dereske
Breathtaker by Alice Blanchard
Which big giver stole the chopped liver? by Sharon Kahn
Killer market by Margaret Maron
Bell, book and scandal by Jill Churchill
Nuclear jellyfish by Tim Dorsey
The spirit woman by Margaret Coel
Miss Julia strikes back by Ann B. Ross
One last good-bye by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Trouble of fools by Linda Barnes
Clubbed to death by Elaine Viets

BOOK REVIEW

The Silver Ghost by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Which eccentric relative or friend committed murder at Renaissance Revel?

Review: Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn attend the Renaissance Revel of Sarah's family friends, Bill and Abigail Billingsgate. During the festivities, one of the Billingsgate's employees is killed, and Sarah's Aunt Appie goes missing. The Billingsgate's valuable antique cars have been going missing, and Sarah and Max investigate. The local police are incompetent, and the couple must interview the eccentric collection of Kelling relatives in attendance.

Why bother? MacLeod's description of the Revel alone is worth reading the book. Who knew Morris dancing could be so funny? Sarah and Max are a pair of level headed thinkers among the assortment of odd ducks that are Sarah's old monied family.